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Celebrate TheoryTheory books aligned with every level of The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program!

It is clear that Celebrate Theory is about solidifying a well-rounded musician. The

syllabus and layout are comprehensive and engaging for BOTH teachers and students.

Well done! I cannot wait to start using these books with my private students.

Olivia Riddell, President & International DirectorMusic for Young Children

Visit your local retailer or purchase online. celebratetheory.com

The Royal Conservatory is proud to present a new series that supports the study of music theory at every stage of a students musical development. Encompassing rudiments, harmony & counterpoint, analysis, and music history, Celebrate Theory is an essential resource for enriching practical studies and developing well-rounded musicianship. Alignment with the Theory Syllabus, 2016 Edition ensures student success in preparing for examinations of The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program.

The study of music theory builds aural awareness, develops analytical thinking, and encourages creativity. Celebrate Theory has been carefully written to enhance those skills and establish lifelong learning and understanding of the music that we hear and play.

Introducing Celebrate Theory!

ConneCTion To RePeRToiRe

DeveloPmenTof musiCianshiP

skills

ThoRough PRePaRaTion foR

examinaTions

alignmenTwiTh PRaCTiCal

sTuDies

nuRTuRing of CReaTiviTy

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Bravo to The Royal Conservatory for the updates to the theory curriculum and the

introduction of the Celebrate Theory series. These changes will provide students and teachers with a more integrated approach that will make learning

and teaching theory more fun!Frank Horvat,

Teacher, Pianist, and Composer

elementary (Preparatorylevel 4) Elementary students begin their musical journey using these five progressive volumes. Introduction to music notation and fundamental concepts are presented and explored through engaging practical activities and written exercises. Selections from The Royal Conservatory repertoire and etudes books invite students to hear and play a piece while discovering how theory concepts come alive. One Answer Book is conveniently available for these levels.

Perfect for students of all instruments, these age-appropriate books introduce the building blocks of the musical language.

intermediate (levels 58)Students continue their musical journey with these intermediate volumes that reinforce theoretical concepts from previous levels and continue to expand musical literacy and build analytical skills. Each students learning is enriched through interactivity with creative composition, analysis, and music appreciation. Integration of guided listening activities allow for a shared experience between the student and teacher, or student and parents. As with earlier volumes, Royal Conservatory repertoire and etudes are included throughout to help theory concepts come alive and build a strong foundation for well-rounded musical training. One Answer Book is conveniently available for these levels.

advanced (levels 9aRCT)harmony & Counterpoint and analysisUsing an interactive approach that builds on theknowledge of basic elements acquired in earlier levelsof theory, these books guide students to a deeper understanding of musical vocabulary, syntax, andstructure. Three clear and concise volumes that integrate harmony & counterpoint are complemented by a single volume of analysis that synthesizes and connects the studyof theory directly to the practical experience.

historyUpdated to reflect the requirements in the Theory Syllabus, 2016 Edition, these three volumes are essential resourcesfor providing an introduction to and overview of the studyof Western music. Through an exploration of styles, genres,and composers and their masterworks from the MiddleAges to the Modern Era, students will cultivate a lifelong appreciation and engagement with music.

Visit your local retailer or purchase online. celebratetheory.com

Celebrate Theory 1

elementary

Unit 5 49

Writing Your Own MelodiesWe can use notes from the C major scale to compose our own melodies. Your melodies may move smoothly by step and they may use repeated notes. Melodies that end on the tonic sound final and complete.

Add the correct time signature to the melody below.

How many steps are there?

How many repeated notes are there?

How many times does the melody change direction?

Compose two melodies in C major using repeated notes and notes moving by step.

Use the given rhythm.

End on the tonic.

Draw a double bar line at the end.

Sing your melodies or play them on your instrument.

Level 1

18 Unit 2

Notes on the Treble StaffNotes stepping higher from Middle C use the forward alphabet.

higher

C

MIDDLE

C D E F G

The treble clef is sometimes called a G clef because it marks the note G on the treble staff by circling around line 2.

G

Trace line 2 using a colored pencil. Circle each G. Name the notes.

Exercises 1.Draw notes stepping higher from Middle C to G. Name the notes.

Preparatory

PreparatoryFirst introduction to music notation, including:the staff, note and rest values, time signatures. scales and triads (C major and A minor, natural only) exploration of concepts through level-appropriate repertoire

level 1Further discovery of pitch and notation concepts including:accidentals, half steps, whole stepsintervals (size only)scales and key signatures (G major and F major)introduction to melody writing and guided listening

2

Preparatorylevel 4 Theory

meloDy

wRiTing

Unit 4 47

Lets Explore!A sonatina is a small-scale sonata, a type of piece that was very important in the Classical era (approximately 17501825). Most sonatinas have several movements, contrasting in key, tempo, and character. This excerpt is from the first movement of Clementis popular Sonatina, op. 36, no. 1.

Op. 36, no. 1 (I) from Celebration Series, 2015 Edition: Piano Repertoire 3.

1. This piece is in the key of: C major F major G major.

2. How many times does the rhythmic motive appear in this passage?

3. Draw a bracket above the first five notes of the C major scale in descending order in the treble staff.

4. Draw a bracket above the first five notes of the C major scale in descending order in the bass staff.

5. Name the size of the interval at letter A.

6. Name the size of the interval at letter B.

7. The ascending scale at letter D is the:

C major scale G major scale F major scale.

8. How many slurs are in this passage?

9. The dynamic marking at measure 5 means: loud soft medium loud.

10. The meaning of Allegro is: fast fairly fast very fast.

Level 3

Unit 3 23

The TripletThe note values you have learned so far divide the basic beat into groups of two or four.

A triplet is a group of three notes played in the time of two notes of the same value.

Brackets are sometimes placed above or below triplets in printed music.

Tap a steady beat with your left hand while you tap these rhythms with your right hand.

Play, or ask your teacher to play the opening measures of The Avalanche by Stephen Heller in order to hear how triplet patterns are used in a piece of music.

Heller, The Avalanche, op. 45, no. 2 from Celebration Series, 2015 Edition: Piano Etudes 4.

Level 4

26 Unit 3

Many familiar melodies use the rhythmic unit:

Tap a steady beat with your left hand while you sing these melodies or say the rhythms.

Exercises

1. Fill in each blank with one note.

+ + =

+ =

+ =

+ + = +

Level 2

level 2New concepts include:major and minor keys with one sharp or flatapplication of time signatures, bar lines, reststhe harmonic minor scalechord symbols for tonic triads

level 3New concepts include:major and minor keys up to two sharps or flatsperfect and major intervalsoctave transpositionthe melodic minor scaledominant triads

level 4New concepts include:major and minor keys up to three sharps or flatstransposition with change of clefminor intervalssubdominant triadswriting four-measure melodies

Celebrate Theory 3

exPloRaTion

of RePeRToiRe

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intermediate

levels 58 Theory

Unit 5 57

3. Write a harmonic interval above each note.

Minor IntervalsMinor intervals may be created by lowering the upper note of a major interval by a half step without changing the letter names. Only seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths may be altered to become minor.

Play each of the above harmonic intervals on the piano. Sing the notes of each interval in melodic form, ascending and descending. Notice the difference in sound

between the major and minor intervals

Name the size of this interval.

The bottom note is 1 of the major scale.

Does the upper note belong to the major scale, or has it been lowered by a half step?

The size and quality of this interval is .

Name the size of this interval.

The bottom note is 1 of the major scale.

Does the upper note belong to the major scale, or has it been lowered by a half step?

The size and quality of this interval is .

When writing or identifying intervals involving a key signature, be sure to apply the key signature to all the affected note